The present invention relates generally to receiver assemblies and, more particularly, to a receiver assembly incorporating a pair of accessory ports that receive and hold a brush bar.
It has long been known to construct towing hitches that are mounted to vehicles in order to allow the towing of trailers or the like. In recent years such hitches have been designed to include a receiver box having a rearwardly directed opening or cavity for the receipt of a hitch or draw bar that carries a hitch ball or other means allowing connection to a trailer. Examples of such a structure include the Insta-Hitch II and Custom Hitch Receiver 35365 as manufactured by Reese Products, Inc. of Elkhart, Ind. Such a hitch receiver is also disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,837 to Reese.
Recent efforts to enhance the versatility of a hitch receiver have led to development of various accessories (e.g., both open and closed article carriers, bike racks, ski racks, tables, winches or other equipment) mounted by means of an accessory mounting bar or lug in the receiver box of a trailer hitch receiver assembly. Because of their convenience and suitability to the particular applications/interests of the user, such accessories have become very popular.
In order to allow for or accommodate trailer towing and accessory mounting simultaneously, a trailer hitch assembly with both a trailer hitch receiver and towing accessory receivers has been recently developed and is the subject of, for example, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial Nos. 60/194,502, filed Apr. 3, 2000 and 60/243,486, filed Oct. 26, 2000. This new receiver assembly includes a central frame member, a mounting bracket carried on each end of the central frame member for securing the central frame member to the vehicle, a hitch receiver box carried on the central frame member and at least one accessory receiver for receiving and holding a recreational and/or utilitarian accessory.
The present invention relates to such a receiver assembly incorporating a brush bar for protecting the bumper and bodywork of the vehicle.
In accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described herein, an improved receiver assembly is provided. The receiver assembly includes a central frame member that may optionally include a hitch receiver box for receiving a hitch bar or draw bar for towing a trailer. The receiver assembly also includes a pair of mounting brackets carried on the central frame member that allow the receiver assembly to be secured to the frame of the towing vehicle. Additionally, the receiver assembly includes a pair of accessory receivers that are carried on the central frame member. Each of the receivers projects from the central frame member so as to be easily accessible.
Still further, the receiver assembly includes a vehicle body guard mounted in the pair of accessory receivers. This vehicle body guard or brush bar functions to protect the bumper and body work of the vehicle while advantageously maintaining the necessary clearance to allow the free and unfettered use of the hitch receiver box. Accordingly, the vehicle body guard or brush bar may be used even when a hitch bar or draw bar is connected in the hitch receiver box to allow the towing of a trailer.
In accordance with one particular embodiment of the present invention the vehicle body guard or brush bar is a continuous tube which extends between the pair of accessory receivers. That tube is shaped so as to project above the hitch receiver box so that the guard can function to protect the body work of the vehicle when, for example, backing the vehicle toward the trailer in order to complete the hitch connection with the towing ball carried on the hitch bar/draw bar.
In one possible embodiment the pair of accessory receivers are provided with one port carried on the central frame member between each of the mounting brackets and the hitch receiver box. The hitch receiver box has a longitudinal axis extending in a first plane A and each accessory receiver has a second longitudinal axis extending in a second plane B, the planes A and B defining an included angle of from about 10xc2x0 to about 30xc2x0 and more specifically, for example, 20xc2x0. As will be described in greater detail below, the relative orientation of the accessory receivers with respect to the central frame member, the hitch receiver box and the towing vehicle to which the assembly is mounted insures ease of accessory alignment and mounting for the benefit and satisfaction of the user.
In another possible embodiment the vehicle body guard includes an outer protective sleeve which protects the surface finish of the guard. The sleeve may include an aesthetically pleasing relief feature, elliptical recess or opening if desired.
Still other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of this invention, simply by way of illustration of one of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.